Photos: Special Olympics Minnesota
Supporting the Special Olympics with a splash.
Across the state, there are over 8,100 Special Olympics athletes, who put in hard work every year to better themselves and demonstrate their capabilities to their fellow Minnesotans. So what can we do to help support them?
The Polar Plunge is a yearly fundraising event in which all proceeds go to the Minnesota Special Olympics. Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $50–$75 for participation, but individual donations of as little as $2.50 can make a big difference. In White Bear Lake, the date of the plunge is January 29. There are both in-person and virtual options for the plunge this year. The in-person event meets at Ramsey Beach where plungers will be able to cheer each other on and offer support before and after they take the plunge. The Polar Plunge also respects those who decide to stay at home and take the plunge. They even provide some ideas to help figure out what that may look like.
After plunging, each participant’s fundraising page will remain open for donations until the end of the plunge season. Whatever is raised from this event helps provide year-round training and services to thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state. Anyone can help support these athletes either by plunging or making a donation.
